Chapter News Tucson Chapter (857) Technicians Guild, Inc. Tucson, Arizona

September 2018

Tucson Chapter Meeting

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Hachenberg & Sons Piano

4333 E. Broadway Blvd. Located on the north side of Broadway Blvd., west of the Broadway/Swan intersection. Refreshments & snacks will be provided. 5:30, refreshments; 6:30, meeting Meeting Topic: Tuning Pin Repinning Neal Flint, presenter Hey, what happened to "Gluing tuning pins??" Miscommunication happened. But we'll be talking about pinblocks, and loose tuning pins and addressing all of that; I'm sure "gluing" will undoubtedly come up. Come and share your thoughts.

PTG Annual Convention and Institute Coming to Tucscon, Arizona!! July 10-13, 2019 Starr Pass Resort, Tucson, AZ To get an idea of what a convention is all about, check out last-year's convention website: http://my.ptg.org/2018convention/home Prerequisites before starting regulation Certain areas should be examined first such as: * On a grand the hammer shanks should not be bottomed out on the stop cushions. The shanks should be elevated slightly above the stop cushion material. (On an upright the hammers should rest completely on the rail, but check that the rail is not being held up off the bracket artificially by a maladjusted dowel or anything else.) * The grand keyframe should be Notes from the last chapter meeting bedded before doing letoff. May 2, 2018 * Check that the damper stop rail has not fallen low or been adjusted artificially low. If the rail is low it could ultimately stop Tech Topic: complete /damper lever travel. This could Servicing the Grand Piano make the key dip appear too shallow. Later in Robert Anderson, Presenter the regulation you would discover the misplaced rail position and regretably have to completely readjust key dip because the Bob shared interesting concepts in a thought preiously low stop rail was throwing off the provoking fashion, concepts that had been dip. conveyed by Ace Ugai, Yamaha’s Piano * Some attendees agreed that sustain pedal Service Manager at a one-on-one 2-day adjustments may need to be varied on an seminar which Bob had attended near L.A. in individual piano to a particular individual September 2017. Although Ace’s seminar owner’s “taste,” as non-standard lift was geared toward new grands, the adjustments may “feel” better for them than suggestions really could be translated to standard, or they may want what to feel what servicing any grand at any point, especially if they have been accustomed to. movers may have hooked up or adjusted the * The drop adjustment needs to be made low lyre and trap incorrectly, or a previous tech enough to be able to detect letoff and make had not done a full regulation, but only the letoff adjustment. regulated for one symptom. Also, materials * Repetition springs need at least “some” may have settled or worn over time. tension before setting hammer lines.

In the to-do list order of prep and regulation it Bob used a charming low-tech display—a was suggested to check and/or adjust simpler large pad of paper on an easel—to draw any things before doing the more time consuming graphics and compose text points—totally things. This would save time having to go functional and easy to read! back and forth and redo previous adjustments.

The final order of efficient regulation according to Mr. Ugai: Chapter Minutes 1. Key height 2. letoff 3. white key dip 4. hammer blow distance Wednesday, May 2, 2018 PTG Meeting: 5. sharp dip (to match aftertouch of whites) 6. back checking 8 Attendees: 7. Repetition spring tension Robert Anderson 8. Jack position in window Mike Erickson 9. Repetition lever height Neal Flint 10. Drop Sarah Hong Jack Phelps Bob also conveyed points on Ace’s Randy Prentice preferences when tuning. 1. Body position Kirby Tucker facing somewhat toward the bass end of the D. Evans (visiting guest, former Tucson RPT) piano. 2. 12 o’clock lever position. 3. Use medium blows to strike the key, and, then, Business: hold the tone to listen to the duration (versus * Richard West is Delegate for the annual fast hard blows). PTG Convention which is in Lancaster, PA this year. On voicing: The best tone is when sustained * Chapter Voting: A quorum can now consist tone “audibly appears” to be elevated above of any 4 chapter members willing to vote. the strings. Previously only RPT members were allowed to vote. As some comments and suggestions were * Treasury report by Bob Anderson: Balance made from Bob’s class to certain aspects of is $2,326.27 Mr. Ugai’s points, Bob responded with a joke he remembered: How many piano technicians Sarah supplied copies of Jim Coleman, Sr’s does it take to screw in a light bulb? Eleven, memoir My Beginning as a Piano Technician. one technician to screw it in, and ten Jim writes of some of his most memorable technicians to suggest the correct way to do events while learning the ropes of . His it. Bob said that sometimes a slower way or failures motivated a more intense desire to different way of performing a procedure can learn, practice, and hone skills. He touches on be one’s choice, even if less efficient, if that’s many of his achievements, along with people the way they have gotten comfortable doing who helped and inspired him throughout his it, as long as the results have proven to be career . successful and reliable. He begins from his childhood. Honest Editor's Note: Thanks to Mike Erickson who accounts of jumping into the often murky prepared these notes, since I was in Nebraska waters of piano knowledge and working his for my daughter's wedding. He also took the way through the unknown by asking meeting minutes which also appear in this questions and attempting unfamiliar newsletter. challenges. He was involved in the earliest Richard West attempts of starting the first Tucson Chapter.

12

Delegate Report Phoenix Chapter

Meeting You will find the complete delegate report in Tuesday, September 4, 2018 the Tucson Chapter website that is hosted by PTG. 7:00PM

Go to: http://my.ptg.org/tucson/home LOCATION: Stilwell Pianos, 1941 W

Log in and click on the "members only" link. Guadalupe Rd #115, Mesa, AZ 85202 I enjoyed being your delegate and learned a lot about how PTG is currently being run. I MEETING: INSTRUCTOR: Bill Kaye, RPT have the feeling that the board is experiencing and Jim Coleman, Sr., RPT a deer in the headlights sense as they exercise SUBJECT: "Convention Institute Class their new power to decide. Adjustments in Highlights" Includes concert prep with a 9- Board/member communication are needed. step regulation, a new hammer hardening And I think adjustments will be made. I'm solution, agraffe repair, tuning exam prep, glad that the Board is committed to upright piano service, and more! addressing pressing problems and issues. There have been some stumbles and learning Carpooling to Phoenix: A group given the new governance. I hope and believe from Tucson is making the trip. Contact me the decision making may slow down a bit in (see information below) if you want to join us order to ensure full deliberation, access to for the short drive, plus dinner and good good information, and full use of resources piano related conversation! and research. Richard West, Delegate

PS Don't forget that our chapter has two websites. You'll find the other site at: http://tucsonpianotuners.net/home.htm

Tucson Chapter Officers President: Kirby E. Tucker, RPT Treasurer: Robert A. Anderson, RPT 10226 E Mary Dr. 5027 E Timrod St Tucson, AZ 85730 Tucson, AZ 85711 520-954-0951 520-326-4048 [email protected] [email protected]

Vice President: Randy A. Prentice, RPT Secretary: Richard E. West, RPT PO Box 13308 642 E. River Walk Drive Tucson, AZ 85732 Oro Valley, AZ 85737 520-749-3788 520-395-0916 [email protected] [email protected]